Cavendish Retires from Pro Cycling After Winning Final Race in SG
Professional cycling legend Sir Mark Cavendish ended his career with a stellar finish at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore over the weekend.
The 39-year-old Astana-Qazaqstan cyclist from the Isle of Man was given entrance honors by fellow competitors prior to the start of the race on Saturday (Nov. 9).
The 3rd edition of the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium witnessed a cycling legend’s farewell. 👋 The British icon, Sir Mark Cavendish ended on a high, taking victory at the finish line set in the heart of Esplanade Park.🏆#TDFSG 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/TgKYqmWSdB
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 11, 2024
In an interview after the race, Cavendish said he was “looking forward” to his post-cycling career.
“Cycling is such a form of freedom,” he said after the race. “It has so much potential as a sport, a mode of transport, as a pastime … and I’ve always tried to do anything I can to help this move forward and that won’t stop even if I’m not riding a bike any more.”
A Knight’s Final Bike Race
According to the BBC, Saturday’s race was Cavendish’s final Tour de France (TDF) stage win, on top of 130 others in the span of his career, including 17 in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Vuelta de España.
It is understood that he was supposed to retire as early as 2020 and was repeatedly delayed. His early TDF exit in 2023 due to a shoulder injury compelled him to postpone his retirement one last time to the 2024 season.
Cavendish was knighted by British monarch King Charles III in June as part of the 2024 Birthday Honors for his “services to cycling and charity work.” A ceremony was eventually held at Windsor Castle in October where Charles’s son and heir, Prince William, formally knighted the cycling legend.
He previously won his 35th TDF stage in July, breaking the record he shared with Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish also won a silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
CAV WINS!#TDFSG 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/6YSnhMMmg2
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 10, 2024
Comments on Cavendish’s Final Win
Cycling fans congratulated Cavendish on the Tour de France X account (formerly Twitter), with some of them calling him the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of the sport.
“A fitting finale by the Missile from the Isle of Man,” a user commented, referring to his monicker as the “Manx Missile.”
“Chapeau, Cav! What a career!” said another.
“You will be missed,” a third added. “TDF will not be the same. Thank you for always bringing your best to the sport. GOAT!”
However, some users perceived that the race was allegedly rigged in order to let Cavendish win.
“I’ve lost respect [for the sport, I’m] sorry,” one user said. “I won’t be silent, [I] just saw it live.”
“[It’s so] weird all these crit[erium] races are staged,” another observed.